Hackensack Meridian Health's Tackle Kids Cancer Program Honored by the American Hospital Association

Hackensack Meridian Health's Tackle Kids Cancer Program, a philanthropic initiative of the Hackensack University Medical Center Foundation dedicated to finding a cure for pediatric cancer, has been honored by the American Hospital Association (AHA) with a Hospital Award for Volunteer Excellence (HAVE).

“I want to congratulate our entire Tackle Kids Cancer team for their diligence and dedication,” said Robert C. Garrett, co-CEO of Hackensack Meridian Health. “They fully embody our mission to transform health care and serve as a leader of positive change.”

According to the AHA, the HAVE Awards Program highlights the extraordinary efforts of volunteers and volunteer programs, as well as the value and positive impact their contributions have on the patients, hospitals, health systems, team members, and communities they serve. Honorees are recognized in four categories: community service programs, community outreach and/or collaboration programs, fundraising programs, and in-service hospital volunteer programs. Tackle Kids Cancer was recognized for its successful fundraising.

“It is an honor to have Tackle Kids Cancer recognized in this way,” said Amy Glazer, executive director of Development for the Joseph M. Sanzari Children's Hospital and Tackle Kids Cancer at the Hackensack University Medical Center Foundation. “At its heart, Tackle Kids Cancer engages members of the community, motivating compassionate action from grassroots involvement to corporate endeavors. We are grateful to the AHA for paying tribute to our ambassadors and volunteers – and for highlighting our work on their behalf.”

Launched in September of 2015, Tackle Kids Cancer has raised more than $5.5 million, providing vital resources to the underfunded field of pediatric cancer research. The majority of donors are individuals or community-based teams of individuals who are motivated to help fund pediatric cancer research in hopes of identifying and providing the most effective treatments with a goal of working toward a cure. Since its inception, hundreds of teams have formed to raise funds to further these goals and realize this vision.

ABOUT HACKENSACK MERIDIAN HEALTH

Hackensack Meridian Health is a leading not-for-profit health care organization that is the largest, most comprehensive and truly integrated health care network in New Jersey, offering a complete range of medical services, innovative research and life-enhancing care.

Hackensack Meridian Health comprises 16 hospitals from Bergen to Ocean counties, which includes three academic medical centers – Hackensack University Medical Center in Hackensack, Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune, JFK Medical Center in Edison; two children's hospitals - Joseph M. Sanzari Children's Hospital in Hackensack, K. Hovnanian Children's Hospital in Neptune; nine community hospitals - Ocean Medical Center in Brick, Riverview Medical Center in Red Bank, Mountainside Medical Center in Montclair, Palisades Medical Center in North Bergen, Raritan Bay Medical Center in Perth Amboy, Southern Ocean Medical Center in Manahawkin, Bayshore Medical Center in Holmdel, Raritan Bay Medical Center in Old Bridge, and Pascack Valley Medical Center in Westwood; and two rehabilitation hospitals - JFK Johnson Rehabilitation Institute in Edison and Shore Rehabilitation Institute in Brick.

Additionally, the network has more than 450 patient care locations throughout the state which include ambulatory care centers, surgery centers, home health services, long-term care and assisted living communities, ambulance services, lifesaving air medical transportation, fitness and wellness centers, rehabilitation centers, urgent care centers and physician practice locations. Hackensack Meridian Health has 33,000 team members, and 6,500 physicians and is a distinguished leader in health care philanthropy, committed to the health and well-being of the communities it serves.

The network's notable distinctions include having one of only five major academic medical centers in the nation to receive Healthgrades America's 50 Best Hospitals Award for five or more consecutive years, four hospitals among the top 10 in New Jersey by U.S. News and World Report. Other honors include consistently achieving Magnet® recognition for nursing excellence from the American Nurses Credentialing Center, recipient of the John M. Eisenberg Award for Patient Safety and Quality from The Joint Commission and the National Quality Forum, a six-time recipient of Fortune's “100 Best Companies to Work For,” one of the “20 Best Workplaces in Health Care” in the nation, and the number one “Best Place to Work for Women.” The network was also named to Becker's Healthcare's “150 Top Places to Work in Healthcare/2018” list.

Hackensack Meridian Health partnered with Seton Hall University to launch the first private medical school in New Jersey – Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine at Seton Hall University - in more than 50 years to address a growing shortage of physicians and dramatic changes in health care delivery. Additionally, the network partnered with Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center to find more cures for cancer faster while ensuring that patients have access to the highest quality, most individualized cancer care when and where they need it. Hackensack Meridian Health and Carrier Clinic, New Jersey's oldest and most respected behavioral health provider, signed a definitive agreement to merge.

Hackensack Meridian Health is a member of AllSpire Health Partners, an interstate consortium of leading health systems, to focus on the sharing of best practices in clinical care and achieving efficiencies.

For additional information, please visit www.HackensackMeridianHealth.org.